FAQs from our Home Inspection Clients

We encourage any, and all, questions. Here are a few that we hope you will find useful.

Why should I get a home inspection?

A home is often the largest single investment people will make in their lives. No home is perfect, so it is vital to be well-informed prior to making such an important decision. A professionally-trained home inspector is there to help make sure you know the property as well as possible before you decide to buy it.

The fact that the home inspector is independently contracted by you to assist in identifying a home’s weaknesses and/or deficiencies means that you have an objective and unbiased ally during this exciting, yet often stressful, time.

What is a home inspection?

A professional home inspection is a non-invasive, visual inspection of a home’s major components including: exteriors (e.g. roofs, siding, windows and doors), foundations, basements and crawlspaces, electrical systems, plumbing, heating, central air conditioning systems, kitchens, laundry rooms, bathrooms, garages and/or carports. It is “non-invasive” in that no walls, or other existing physical structures, will be penetrated, or removed, to do the inspection, as you do not yet "officially" own the home at the time of the inspection.

Should I be present for the inspection?

It is preferred if you, the potential buyer, are present for the inspection. Our home inspectors want to work together with you to evaluate the home, and of course, answer any questions that you may have during, or after, an inspection.

I speak Spanish, do you have inspectors that speak Spanish?

All of our inspectors understand and speak some Spanish, but we have an interpreter that is available to accompany the home inspector - there is no extra cost for this service.Tenemos un interprete que está disponible durante la inspección -esto no tiene un costo extra para el cliente. Nuestro interprete también está disponible vía telefónica para ayudarle con cualquier pregunta que usted tenga antes, durante o después de la inspección.

When will I receive my report?

A quality report takes time to prepare. Generally, you will receive your report within 24 hours of the actual inspection.

How long will the inspection take?

Our typical inspections run about 2 to 3 hours. Obviously, the size and complexity of a property factor in to how long an inspection will take. A 900 square foot, two bedroom ranch-style home on a slab with no garage will obviously take less time to evaluate than a Newport mansion.

How much will the inspection cost?

Prices start at $385.00, but factors such as square footage, single vs. multi-family properties, and additional items in which you would like inspected beyond the typical mechanical and physical inspections (e.g. well inspections, septic systems, radon testing etc.) will add to the price. On Target Home Inspections strives to be very competitive with our pricing, but we also strive to be the best…not necessarily the cheapest. We would be glad to prepare a quote for you based on your specific needs, and then, you can decide if our services are the best fit for you. Just keep in mind...

"Price is what you pay, value is what you get."

-Warren Buffet

Why should I choose On Target Home Inspections over other home inspectors?

In the State of Rhode Island there are currently laws governing home inspection services, but there is no funding to actually oversee the business practices of individual home inspectors. In fact, there is not a current license requirement in the State of Rhode Island for home inspectors. Unfortunately, this enables under-qualified individuals to claim that they are able to provide home inspection services when they may not, in fact, be qualified. We not only exceed the States requirements, but our construction backgrounds, ongoing training, participation in professional organizations, such as The American Society of Home Inspectors (ASHI), and our sincere desire to help our customers, sets us apart from the competition. A clear example of how we know that we are doing top-notch inspections is that when Realtors are looking for homes for themselves, or for their family members, we usually get the call.

What is an "errors and omission insurance”?

According to Business Dictionary.com, the term refers to: "Insurance coverage that protects professionals (such as accountants, architects, brokers, consultant, engineers, lawyers) against claims arising from their actual or perceived negligence, errors, and mistakes in the performance of service for others."

Does On Target Home Inspections carry professional errors and omission insurance?

Yes. On Target Home Inspections carries insurance to protect the company, but more importantly to protect you, our client. We strive to do the industry’s most comprehensive and thorough professional home inspections. Unfortunately humans, despite our sincerest desires not to be so, are imperfect. Therefore, since there is always a small possibility that something may not have been noted at the time of the inspection, a claim could result. So, the professional errors and omissions insurance is a cost we are glad to pay to help insure all parties.

May I have a copy of the policy?

Yes. Copies of our policy are brought to each inspection for our clients’ review, but can also be provided upon request.

Do you provide any guarantees of your work?

On Target Home Inspections strives for 100% customer satisfaction, but there are limitations to what can be observed, and thus, reported. For example, if a home’s problem is intermittent and not exhibiting itself during the time of the inspection, it cannot be reported upon, yet unfortunately, may present itself at a later date. A prime example of this is “functional water flow” of a property. In homes equipped with wells, water from the tap may flow perfectly fine after a significant rainfall and when a new filter has been installed, but be poor after a period of no rain, or when the filter is in need of replacement. Of course, these conditions cannot be anticipated or controlled by our inspectors; therefore, we cannot provide a guarantee.

“While an inspection performed by a competent inspection company will determine the condition of the major components of the home, no inspection will pick up every minute latent defect. The inspector’s ability to find all defects is limited by access to various parts of the property, lack of information about the property and many other factors. A good inspector will do his, or her, level best to determine the condition of the home and to report it accurately. The report that is issued is an opinion as to the condition of the home [at the time of the inspection]. This opinion is arrived at by the best technical methods available to the home inspection industry. It is still only an opinion.”